US Launch Of Sony Xperia NXT Series Feels Dated With Gingerbread On Board

We reported last week about Sony’s Xperia NXT series (S, P, and Sola models) coming to the US. Sony announced today that, along with the Xperia S and Xperia P, the Xperia U is now finally available, unlocked and SIM-free, in the States. By “SIM-free”, they actually mean it will only work on AT&T 3G and 4G, so be warned.

Now the issue here is that all three of these phones have been available in Europe for a few months, so they’re not exactly brand new. In fact, they are all still running Android 2.3 Gingerbread. That’s two versions behind Jelly Bean (remember, Honeycomb was a tablet only version). Sure, Sony says that all three phones will be upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich, but come on, at the retail prices they’re quoting, we would expect the phones to already be upgraded to at least ICS.

The top of the line in this series is the Xperia S, which comes with a 1.5GHz Snapdragon S3, 1GB RAM, 720p Reality Display, 12MP camera, and 32GB of storage. Decent specs deserving a newer OS than Gingerbread. The S comes with a suggested retail price of $559.99 in black or white.

The Xperia P fills out the mid-range with dual-core 1GHz U8500 chip, qHD screen, and 8MP camera. It also features an aluminum body in silver, red, or black for a suggested retail price of $479.99.

Finally, on the budget side there’s the Xperia U with a dual-core 1 GHz U8500 chip, WVGA display, 5MP camera, and interchangeable, multi-colored bottom caps. The U retails for $299.99 and is available in black or white.

Sorry, Sony, but it’s hard to get excited when phones like the HTC One X or Samsung Galaxy S III are available at much lower carrier-subsidized prices in the US, not to mention the $350 off-contract price of the Galaxy Nexus, which runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

Hit the break for Sony’s full press release.

Sony Mobile Communications Expands Smartphone Portfolio Bringing Xperia™ NXT Series to the US

Xperia™ NXT series launching as next generation smartphones from Sony Mobile includes Xperia S, Xperia P and Xperia U.

Incorporating the best of Sony technology and premium entertainment, the Xperia NXT series provide easy connectivity. These smartphones also have an instantly recognizable design with the “transparent element,” a band that encircles the base of the phone and also integrates invisible antenna components. The transparent element illuminates when receiving calls, texts and notifications.

Xperia S combines an amazing HD experience with an impressive viewing experience through the high resolution 4.3 inch display with Mobile BRAVIA® engine, a 12 MP camera that takes pictures in just 1.5 seconds from standby.

With a full aluminum unibody design, Xperia P debuts WhiteMagic™ display technology from Sony for the first time on a smartphone. WhiteMagic technology delivers the brightest viewing experience; whether at the beach or on the ski slopes. Smart power efficiency automatically adjusts the brightness of the screen to the surroundings to conserve battery life.

Xperia U combines powerful Sony entertainment with a stylish and compact design that consumers can personalize inside and out. In Xperia U, the transparent element illuminates to match the color of photos viewed in the gallery or the album art of music tracks currently playing. Xperia U can also be personalized with exchangeable color caps and themes. With xLoud and Sony 3D surround sound audio technology integrated into the music player, consumers will enjoy a crisp and loud sound experience. They can also stream music from their Xperia U to wireless speaks using DLNA.

Pricing & availability:

The Xperia NXT series is now available in the US at Sony stores nationwide and sony.com/NXT, Newegg.com and other online retailers. Please check with each retailer for additional pricing and availability.

Originally from the East Coast, Ed now makes his home in San Jose, California. His passion for technology started with his first ColecoVision and Atari gaming systems, and has grown stronger through Tandy computers, IBM clones, Palm Pilots, and PocketPCs. Ed's love for Android began with his first HTC Hero, then blossomed with the original Evo 4G, and now the Evo 3D and Motorola Xoom. He graduated from Syracuse University with a B.S. in Communications, and is now a professional User Experience Designer working in Silicon Valley. In his spare time, Ed enjoys video games, jamming on guitar, and spending time with his wife, two cats, and Logitech Revue.

RTWright

I love how you bash this product, when it’s been out for a while now and it’s not on any carrier here in the US. The pricing is no different than buying any other Android device ( No matter what version the OS is ) unlocked. Try getting an unlocked GS3 for these prices…..

I’m certain Sony will put ICS out for them, I’m happy to see they’re finally releasing their devices over here. Now if a Carrier picks them up? Hey, they’ll have the same 2 year contract pricing as all others get. But comparing the pricing here to a contract price is rather silly.

Plan your articles out a little better, bashing products based on OS version and Price needs to be avoided in my opinion. Compare Oranges to Oranges ( Notice I’m avoiding a word that begins with an A here? ), not Oranges to Sour Grapes!